Part   Six   "Fatherly Advice"

 
Monday 10th April 2017 (Continued)
 

Tammy decided to leave her car outside the office and walked to where Suzie was waiting. She found her sister stood outside, beside her new moped.

"You rode around here?"

"Yes, I'm getting used to it! I've only had it since Friday! Anyway, Tammy, this gives me the creeps." Suzie opened the office door and left Tammy to enter.

"Oh!"

"Quite, what the hell is this all about?"

A pin board was covered in photos of Tammy, taken near her office, in the town, at home, at the airfield and outside Tesco. There were also newspaper clippings, some of which referred to terrorist events in London over the previous two years. There was a faint smell of chlorine in the air.

"Shit!"

Tammy backed out.

"Aren't you going to search the premises?"

"No, Suzie, we need help and I'm not certain the local police are equipped to deal with this."

"But?"

"Leave that with me, can you get back to the office and bring me a spare door lock and the small toolkit? I'm going to secure the door as it could be a few days before help arrives."

"I still think the Police would be better?"

"And what would they do? I'd have to brief them on every potential stalker, anyone with a grudge, potentially compromising ongoing cases. Apart from that, we know that the police force leaks information, and I want to keep a lid on this. What do you think mum would say?"

"Yeah, I see."

"Scoot, I'll take some photos. Oh, can you find the file for this lease?"

"Sure, do you want it here?"

"No, just leave it on my desk."

Tammy waited for Suzie to leave, suitably helmeted, before pulling her secure mobile out of her bag.

"Marcus?"

"I only have a minute Tammy, I hope this is urgent?"

"One of my properties had been rented for a few months and we'd come here to check it. What we found was that a wall was covered with photos of me."

"It couldn't be a fan?"

"Please be serious, this freaked my sister."

"Have you informed the police?"

"No, that would complicate things."

"Understood, what is the property?"

"Ground floor office and a flat above that, both were rented. It's number twelve Fore Street in Thurso."

"Okay, lock it up and I'll get a forensic examiner to you."

"Thanks."

"Take precautions, Tammy."

"Will do."

She took her camera and quickly photographed the interior, without stepping inside the office. Fortunately the windows were covered with heavy netting and nothing could be seen from the outside.

Suzie was back ten minutes later.

"I met the glazier, he's finished replacing the broken window on the place I visited last week."

"Did you pay him?"

"I couldn't find the company cheque book, not that I think I'm on the account yet?"

"Sorry, I'll get around to it. Do you have the things I asked for?"

Tammy replaced the lock and tested the door, only taking five minutes to complete the job.

"When did you learn to do that?"

"Years ago, when I occasionally spent time in North London, Dad had me help him with odd jobs."

"Oh, I was never shown."

"I'll show you again, next time I change a lock, you'll need to be able to do this on your own."

"I hope I get extra for that?"

"I hope you're joking, Suzie? Here, take the tools and the old lock back with you?"

"Now I'm a ruddy donkey!"

"Better than being an ass!"

As she walked back to her office, Tammy received a text from Marcus:

So, Tammy thought, a Dr Webster was arriving in two days and she'd been appointed as taxi driver. She sent an acknowledgement.

Back at the office she opened the file on their Fore Street property. It had been a three month lease by a research team, monitoring whale activity in North East Scotland. The contact had been a Dr John Ritchie, she tried his mobile but it was disconnected. an email bounced and their website no longer existed.

"Damn."

Suzie was still in the office as Tammy opened the safe and took her Glock 29 out, plus a spare clip. Both went into her bag.

"Woah! What the hell are you doing, Tammy?"

"Protecting myself, Suzie, I think I know what's going on."

"What's that?"

"We've had Penny Lavoska on our bloody doorstep for the past three months!"

"Lavoska, I though she was in prison? She tried to kidnap me."

"That was her sister, Paula."

"Well, you're not doing anything to make me feel safer?"

"Just be careful, we have no idea where she's gone."

"We had no idea she was here in the first place!"

"Come on Tammy, you're guessing. What evidence do you have that Penny was here?"

"Err, yeah, none."

"That's it. Until we have some real evidence we can't jump to any conclusions."

"You're right, Suzie."

"I thought you had training as an analyst? You shouldn't have made that assumption."

"I guess I'm a bit stressed."

"That's understandable but I still don't know what happened at the weekend?"

"Sorry, Dad and I didn't want to scare Mum."

"Understandable, but I think I need to know."

"Okay, why don't you listen to the police interview - almost everything's in there." Tammy reached for the recorder that was still on her desk. "Do you have some earphones with you? I don't feel like listening to it again."

Tammy sat at her computer and transferred the high-res photos from her camera as she wrote up that morning's events. Across the office she could see Suzie's facial expressions as she listened to the interview, realising how dangerous Tammy's life was.

Suzie gave no reaction when she'd finished listening, and digesting, the recording, she just grabbed her bag and coat and walked out of the office. Tammy said nothing as Suzie left, she just assumed that her sister was trying to clear her head.

Tammy had finished composing an email to Jeremiah Smith of Smith, Smith & Smith when the special phone rang.

Tammy unlocked the secure room and answered it.

"Ah, Tammy, it's DI Edmunds."

"Hello Kevin, long time no speak?"

"You weren't wrong when you told DC Lomax that you hadn't spoken to us recently!"

"You've heard it? I suppose Iain Davison sent you a copy?"

"Yes, I have news about your plane."

"Okay?"

"It's at Farnborough, by the way, with the Air Accident Investigation Branch*. They've classed your event as a Serious Incident."

"Okay, but what about the reason for the engine cutting out?"

"Give them time, Tammy, they're dealing with several investigations right now and, because you survived, it isn't a priority."

"Great, if she'd managed to kill me I'd get better service!"

"Maybe, Tammy, but don't go testing that hypothesis."

"Oh, I have a new problem. Someone's been keeping tabs on me."

"I thought you were trained in counter-surveillance?"

"I probably let my guard down."

"That's a dangerous approach, especially given your history."

"Thanks, I hate to think what my mother would say!"

"Seriously, Tammy, you need to be on your guard. What's the latest?"

"One of my own properties was rented for whale watching but the place contains photos of me, taken in loads of places over the past couple of months."

"That's a concern. Have you told the local officers?"

"No, it's doubtful what they could do."

"I detect a measure of distrust?"

"Sure, Kevin. The PC who was sent to guard my plane took photos and sold them to a Sunday rag. His brother tried to stitch me up as a shoplifter."

"So what are you doing with the property?"

"I've arranged for a forensic examination."

"How?"

"Using a military contact."

"Be careful Tammy, you're not above the law."

"I'll make the report available when I get it, I need to know who's been there."

"I hope you know what you're doing, this isn't a game."

"Sure, but I don't want a load of police activity here either, that generates media coverage. I've been in the news enough recently!"

"Fair enough, keep me informed please, and be careful!"

"Will do, Kevin."

 
Wednesday 12th April 2017
 

Tammy waited by the Smart Aviation Hanger until the scheduled 1600 flight to Edinburgh had left, carrying Dr Elizabeth Webster.

"So what was that all about, Tammy?"

Jim Surtees had emerged from the hanger, wiping his greasy hands on a paper towel.

"I had a problem with one of my properties and asked for expert help."

"Okay,ave you heard any more about the plane?"

"Only that the Air Accident Investigation Board have it, nothing more. How about a replacement?"

"I'm looking at a couple of aircraft at the moment. There are some Pipers available at very reasonable prices but they're 1970s models, albeit well-maintained."

"I'd like something a little newer?"

"I have my eye on a Czech Sports PS-28, built in 2014 and has one verified owner. It's at Perth right now and I'll have one of the helicopters call in there to get some photos for you."

"Thanks Jim, I'd best get home."

She walked over to her car and a minute later was on her way out of the security gate.

Her father had caught her at breakfast the previous morning and had told her that he wanted 'a word' that evening. She'd escaped the inquisition when he was called to a meeting at St Andrews School, but he was now waiting for her.

Suzie had admitted the previous day that she'd told their father what was going on, her excuse was that he knew something was up. Tammy suspected he could have been bluffing, but that was irrelevant as now he knew for certain.

She needed petrol and pulled into the Tesco filling station adjacent to Wick Airport. She opted to use a self-service pump so she didn't have to go into the forecourt shop, it had only been three days since the incident in the main store. She had felt quite exposed stood by her distinctive racing green Mini Cooper and only relaxed once she was back on the road.

She'd barely walked indoors when her father appeared.

"My office, now."

Tammy kicked off her shoes and padded upstairs in stockinged feet before hanging her jacket, replacing it with a light cardigan. A few minutes after arriving home she made it to the study.

"Yes?"

"Sit down, Tammy, we need a little chat."

"About?"

"Don't think that I didn't know what was going on, but I need to know what the hell is going on?"

"I'm not certain I can tell you everything, as I don't know it all myself."

"Suzie seemed sure you knew more than her?"

"I'll have to remind her of the confidentiality clause in her employment contract, plus the Official Secrets Act she signed last week."

"Tammy, I need to know whether we are in danger, is there a threat?"

"Possibly, but I really don't know."

"Let's start with today, who flew in this morning?"

"Dr Elizabeth Webster, a forensic examiner."

"I understand she went to one of your properties? What did she find?"

"Not much, the whole place had been wiped down. She's taken a few hairs away for DNA analysis."

"So you don't know who was there?"

"No. We've worked out that none of the photos was newer than the middle of last month."

"So the place has been empty for a month?"

"Yes."

"Suzie says you didn't want to tell the Police?"

"Correct, I really don't know what they could have done apart from generate more publicity about me, us. I did however tell the Counter Terrorism Unit in London."

"Did they organise Dr Webster?"

"No, I used a military contact."

"Ah, Suzie seems to think you are planning leaving the Security Service, although I thought you were no longer shackled to them?"

"I've been offered an advisory position with a joint civilian/military unit. I haven't agreed yet."

"What's the role?"

"Mostly technical, but I'd have to adapt. It might not even mean leaving Thurso, some work could be done from here. I'm meeting them in a few weeks, but I don't have a date or a location yet."

"Who is your contact?"

"A military officer, sorry but you don't need to know his name."

"Okay, my guess is that you'll want to fly if the meeting is in England?"

"That's the plan."

"Jim called me this afternoon, asking if we could divert a chopper to look at this Czech Sports PS-28 he found."

"He said he'd try to get it inspected."

"I'm still waiting for the insurance company to agree terms over the fake plane, any news on that?"

"It's at Farnborough, otherwise I've heard nothing."

"Look Tammy, please let me know what's going on, especially if it affects our lives as well? "

"Will do, Dad."

"Just to let you know, your mother has invited Tanya, John and Jade Louise to lunch on Saturday, be here!"

"Yes, Dad."

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* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Accidents_Investigation_Br...